This one took me by surprise as I wasn't expecting such a quality release. I'm not as familiar with Mgla's debut Groza as I would like, but from what I've heard I can safely say that With Hearts Toward None is a superior release, and arguably the finest of Mgla's work so far.

What really struck me about this album are the melodies, which sound great for a start, but I feel these melodies have been meticulously crafted, with the sole purpose of establishing a place in the back of your mind. Even upon my second listen to With Hearts Toward None I felt a strong sense of familiarity within the melodies, which hit well, especially considering it wasn't some mere, strange déjà vu. As I result, I commend Mgla for this feat, and I definitely see this becoming a favorite of mine over the year.

Besides the great use of melody, there's a whole host of quality musical technique show here. The vocals are a great, decipherable croak/growl that sounds very strong, and the lyrics themselves happen to be quite cool. The riffs are top notch, obviously spawning the fantastic use of melody, and the drum work is interesting in the sense that it is tastefully done, not abusing one particular style but including a nice array of beats and fills.

Production is perfect here, and the atmosphere is utterly engrossing. I've really come to love black metal over the last few years, and this is one of those albums that reminds me why and includes a lot of what I personally want to hear within the genre. There isn't much left to say about With Hearts Toward None; fans of black metal are going to want to get a hold of this without hesitation. Definitely some of the coolest Polish black metal I've heard. Highly recommended.